45 MPs urge Healey: Don't let LGBT veterans scheme fail

A payment scheme for LGBT veterans has been set up (Peter Byrne/PA) Peter Byrne

Forty-five MPs have warned Defence Secretary John Healey that he cannot allow a payment scheme for LGBT veterans to "become damaged" amid concerns some claimants have "struggled immensely" to receive their money. The cross-party group expressed fears that veterans facing financial crisis are "suffering from severe mental health issues" without proper support.

LGBT veterans who faced mistreatment, including dismissal and bullying, because of their sexuality between July 1967 and January 2000 can make claims through a financial recognition scheme worth £75 million. However, MPs have raised serious concerns about the slow pace of payments and bureaucratic delays.

MPs demand faster payments

Liberal Democrat MP Ben Maguire, who signed the letter, accused the Government of "now failing the very veterans they pledged to support". The North Cornwall MP said the slow pace of delivery was "unacceptable and causing avoidable distress".

"Many of these LGBT veterans have already endured lifetimes of shame, stigma and rejection," Maguire said. He added that these veterans "should not have to suffer all over again because of bureaucratic delays".

Cross-party support grows

The letter has 46 backers in total, including the Liberal Democrats' defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire, several Labour and Plaid Cymru MPs, and Stonewall charity co-founder Lord Cashman. Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport who also signed the letter, told PA that LGBT veterans had faced an "injustice that's gone on for far too long".

The MPs have requested that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) "widens the criteria for prioritisation to include all those in financial crisis". Currently, fast-tracked applicants under the existing scheme include claimants who are facing bankruptcy or having their home repossessed through a court process.

Immediate payment proposal

"Many of these veterans who are in financial crisis, but are not yet in the court system, are still suffering from severe mental health issues because of a lack of financial support provided by the redress scheme from the outset," the MPs warned. They suggested making an immediate payment of £50,000 to all veterans who qualify rather than making those who were dismissed or administratively discharged wait for their full award.

The MPs argued this approach would "alleviate the pressure and anger being felt by this community and would provide a quick win for the MoD" before a panel considers whether to issue further payouts on a case-by-case basis. "These veterans have struggled immensely to progress their claims, and after years of waiting for signs of hope are still waiting for settlement and closure," they added.

Warning against scheme failure

The cross-party group concluded their letter with a stark warning to the Defence Secretary. "We cannot allow this process to become damaged in the same way as other compensation schemes have," they wrote.

The intervention highlights growing parliamentary pressure on the Government to accelerate payments to LGBT veterans who suffered decades of discrimination and mistreatment in the armed forces.

(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.